A simple total synthesis of naturally occurring hydroxy-amino acids by enzymatic kinetic resolution

Article abstract of DOI:10.1016/S0957-4166(00)80128-7

Both optically pure enantiomers of GABOB and isoserine were obtained by enzymatic kinetic resolution of acetylated precursors in three or four steps. The key intermediates were cyanohydrins available from simple aldehydes. This procedure can be applied to other unusual hydroxy amino acids widely distributed in biologically important peptides.